1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container for including at least a RFID tag including a RFID circuit element configured to allow RFID tag information to be read out and written from/to external objects via wireless communication, an apparatus for communicating with a RFID tag configured to use the container for including at least a RFID tag, and a management server for managing production information of a RFID tag and a management system for managing production information of a RFID tag when RFID labels are created.
2. Description of the Related Art
A RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system is known. The system allows information to be accessed (read/written) between a small-size RFID tag and a reader/writer (reading/writing apparatus) in a non-contact manner. For example, a RFID circuit element is disposed at a label-shaped RFID tag. The RFID circuit element includes an IC circuit part configured to store predetermined RFID tag information and an antenna connected to the IC circuit part. Thus, the RFID circuit element carries out transmission/reception of information. Such an arrangement enables the reader/writer to access (readout/writing of information) the RFID tag information even if the RFID tag has become soiled or even if the RFID tag has come to be located at a position where it cannot be seen. Thus, it is anticipated that such a technique will be of practical use in various fields such as inventory control and manufacturing process inspection.
Known examples of a writer (printer) for writing information to such a RFID circuit element include an arrangement disclosed in Patent document 1. With such a prior art, the rectangular label chips (RFID labels) are adhered onto a strip of tag tape (base sheet) at a predetermined pitch. With such an arrangement, a strip of tag tape is fed out from a tag tape roll (supply shaft) and is transported along the feeding path. On the other hand, predetermined RFID tag information is created by the writing apparatus. The RFID tag information is transmitted toward the antenna of the RFID circuit element included within each label chip. Thus, the RFID tag information is consecutively written to each IC circuit part (IC chip) connected to the antenna. Subsequently, the label chips are transported downstream, and print information is printed by the printing unit (thermal head) on the surface of each RFID label corresponding to the RFID tag information thus written. In this way, a RFID label is completed.
Also, Patent document 2 discloses an arrangement that the RFID tags produced are used in management of consumable supplies, for example. In the prior art, the RFID tag is provided to a recording agent storage cartridge employed in a printer, a copying machine, etc. In such an arrangement, the cartridge is mounted to a main body of the printer or the like. On the other hand, a reader/writer is provided to the main body to read out the profile information with respect to the recording agent from the RFID circuit element. Further, the profile information is newly written or to be updated according to the state of use when the cartridge is mounted to the printer or the like.
Also, the Patent document 3 discloses an arrangement in which the aforementioned RFID tags are employed in management of detachable components, for example. In this prior art, the RFID tags are disposed at a developing cartridge and a process cartridge respectively. Each of the cartridges is detachably mounted to a main body of an image formation apparatus. The developing cartridge includes a developing device and a toner hopper. The process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and electricity removing unit. In such an arrangement, each cartridge is mounted to the main body of the image formation apparatus. On the other hand, a reader/writer is provided to the main body to read out various information from a RFID circuit element. This prevents erroneous mounting of the components, and allows life expectancy to be estimated in a simple manner.
On the other hand, Patent document 4 discloses a prior art that a processing apparatus configured to perform predetermined processing, is connected to a network. In this art, the state, and so forth of the processing of the processing apparatus are transmitted to a management server or a database on the network, for example. In the prior art, a printer or a terminal of the user is connected to the management server via the network. With such an arrangement, the user-side printer executes printing processing according to print data transmitted from the management server connected to the database. In a case of failure in printing, the user performs manual operations according to the situation, whereupon a corresponding signal is transmitted to the management server. The management server transmits data with a new identifier and a new security number to the user-side terminal again according to the signal thus received, thereby retrying the printing.    Patent Publication 1: JP, A, 2003-159838 (Paragraphs 0011 to 0039, FIGS. 1 to 5)    Patent Publication 2: JP, A, 2002-86864 (Paragraphs 0022 to 0057, FIG. 1)    Patent Publication 3: JP, A, 2001-22230 (Paragraphs 0024 to 0068, FIG. 5)    Patent Publication 4: JP, A, 2003-216766 (Paragraphs 0033 to 0086, FIG. 1)
As described above, RFID tags are used in various fields. In creating such RFID labels, a container for including at least a RFID tag (e.g., a RFID circuit element cartridge, a tag tape roll, etc.) is mounted to a container mounting portion (cartridge holder portion, roll holder portion, or the like) of the apparatus. The RFID element container includes a strip of tag medium (tag tape). RFID circuit elements have been provided on the tag medium at a predetermined pitch along the tape longitudinal direction. Then, the RFID circuit elements are transported along the tape longitudinal direction by feeding out the tag tape. Furthermore, predetermined RFID tag information is created by the apparatus. The RFID tag information is transmitted via an apparatus antenna so as to consecutively access (read/write) the IC circuit part connected to the antenna of the RFID circuit element. The RFID circuit element is transported downstream after the RFID tag information has been read out/written from/to the RFID circuit element. Thus, the RFID tag is transported downstream and cut off in the form of a label. In this way, a RFID label is completed in the end.
Here, with an arrangement having a RFID circuit element cartridge as the container for including at least a RFID tag (i.e., a structure in which the tag tape roll is detachably mounted to a cartridge holder of the apparatus in the form of a cartridge) a user can replace the tag tape with ease in a simple manner. Namely, the user only replace the cartridge with a new one when the tag tape as a consumable supply has run out. Furthermore, in such an arrangement, the user can use tags with various sizes or various kinds of tags by using multiple cartridges and replacing the cartridges. With such an arrangement using such a cartridge, in order to continuously maintain smooth communication with the RFID circuit element after the cartridge replacement, the kind of the RFID circuit elements stored in the cartridge (in other words, the kind of the cartridge) is preferably checked before communication.
In order to solve the aforementioned problem, an arrangement with RFID circuit element for identifying cartridge can be conceivable. The RFID circuit element for identifying cartridge is provided to the cartridge, in addition to the multiple RFID circuit elements (RFID circuit elements for producing RFID labels) provided on the tag tape stored in the cartridge. Then the unique cartridge identification information is stored in the additional RFID circuit element. However, in an arrangement including one circuit configured to access the aforementioned RFID circuit element for producing a RFID label and the other circuit configured to access the RFID circuit element for identifying cartridge. Such an arrangement leads to a complicated circuit structure, increased size and weight of the overall system, and increased producing costs.
A system according to the prior art disclosed in the aforementioned Patent document 3 employs RFID tags only for monitoring the states of the multiple cartridges mounted to the image formation apparatus main body. That is to say, such a system is given no consideration with the replacement of the cartridges or the aforementioned problems due to the replacement, etc. in RFID labels creating.
On the other hand, of the aforementioned RFID label producing procedure, access (reading/writing) to the RFID tag information stored in the IC circuit part is made via wireless communication in a non-contact manner. Accordingly, with such an arrangement, the risk of access failure or access error (error in reading or writing) cannot be completely suppressed. For instance, the access failure or access error may due to erroneous operations of the user, the insufficient power supply voltage (dead battery), and adverse effects of the surrounding radio waves. Such a problem leads to an extra load for the manufacturer of the apparatus, the servicing firm, and so forth, for the purpose of ensuring the performance of the apparatus and the RFID tags created by the apparatus.
The prior art disclosed in the aforementioned Patent document 2 provides another system. In the system, RFID tags are configured to monitor the state of consumable supplies to be mounted to an apparatus main body. However, as above-described prior art, the system is also given no consideration with neither the guarantee of the producing performance of a producing apparatus configured to create articles, such as a RFID label producing apparatus, nor the guarantee of the quality of the RFID labels.
On the other hand, the prior art disclosed in the aforementioned Patent document 4 provides a printing processing. In the printing processing, the print data acquired from a management server is printed by the user-side printer. With such an arrangement, the print data is transmitted only in one direction from the management server to a user-side apparatus. With such an arrangement, the user needs to perform manual input operations according to the print results. The signal that corresponds to a user operation is transmitted to the management server. On the other hand, with the aforementioned arrangement in which the RFID tags are created, in general, access is made to each RFID circuit element in a non-contact manner as described above. Moreover, two-way (automatic) communication is made. Such an arrangement employing the two-way communication should be able to automatically acquire the information with respect to the access results (success in access, failure in access, the state of access, etc.) without involving manual operations in RFID tag producing. However, such an automatic data acquisition technique art not proposed in prior arts including the aforementioned prior art.
On the other hand, when the RFID circuit elements to be provided to the tag tape are created, in practice, the tag property data deviate somewhat from design specification values for each RFID circuit element. The unevenness due to e.g., the communication sensitivity, the access conditions such as the memory writing voltage and the writing time for the IC circuit part, etc. However, communication is made with all the RFID circuit elements by using uniform tag property data sets regardless of such unevenness with prior arts as disclosed in Patent document 1. Therefore, in such an arrangement configured to carry out create multiple RFID circuit elements creating, sufficiently high output of the apparatus antenna is to be set beforehand. Because, as to e.g. communication sensitivity, there is a need to ensure sufficient communication performance with the RFID circuit element having lower communication sensitivity.
As a result, in a case of communication with a satisfactory RFID circuit element having sufficient sensitivity, such high output is excessive, leading to waste of energy. Furthermore, undesirable effects can occur from the perspective of communication on the condition that such high output has exceeded the permissible output range of the RFID circuit element. Examples of such undesirable effects include distorted signals obtained received by the RFID circuit element, communication interference with other RFID circuit elements, difficulty in identifying the reflected wave component due to the high intensity of the carrier waves, etc. The rest of tag property data, e.g., access conditions etc., such as the memory writing voltage, memory writing time, and so forth for the IC circuit part have similar problems.
As described above, in all the prior arts, there is difficulty to eliminate communication failures or bad effects, or to attempt smooth communication positively in RFID label creating. This leads to difficulty in producing RFID labels with high reliability.